| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 12/26/2012 : 18:31:38
This charming and very moving low-key film didn't get a big release here in the UK, so I'm glad to have caught up with it.
The stars of the film are quite literally the stars of the film. Twinkling equally are Terence Stamp as the quintessential grumpy old man, married to the extraordinary, radiant Vanessa Redgrave who's dying of cancer.
In firm support are Christopher Ecclestone as their son, and Gemma Arterton's ebullient young music teacher, who voluntarily runs a community chorus for Old Age Pensioners which she hopes is destined for national recognition.
Fairly brief contributions from some of UK's most reliable older actors - all working as an ensemble entirely appropriate for members of a choir - completely cushion the drama at the heart of the film.
It's the ineluctable connections that provide substance. For despite the relentless spectre of the unknown, fragility turns into great strength in front of our eyes. People just refuse to give up - life is a process.
In a comparatively short career, writer/director Paul Andrew Williams has be praised as one to watch. As London to Brighton shows, he's unafraid to deal with life's brutality, and with Song For Marion, he sheds light on life's inner scars, too.
The film's probably too low-key for top awards, but both Redgrave and Stamp deserve consideration. They're wonderful!
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